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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Edition)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Magically marvelous.
Review: I highly recommend Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. A perfect cast, excellent music, gorgeous sets and lovely story. Watch it if you can.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing!!!!!!!
Review: I have got to say this has got to be one of my favs I think Warner Brothers has the right to make a total of 7 books and movies because of this movie I saw this Thanksgiving weekend on Saturday and you know what I bet the sequels will be as wonderful as this film was I've heard that Harry Potter movie #2 will be out in theatres November 15th 2002 just a day after this film was released please go see this if you don't you don't know what your missing out on.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Left alot out, but was fantastic
Review: This movie was a really good movie, do not get me wrong, but they left alot out! Things: Taking Norbert up to the tower, the midnight duel, and Draco and Harry did NOT meet at Hogwarts, they meet at The Leaky Cauldron.
(...)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Go see it and take the kids
Review: The music does have reflections of Indiana Jones and maybe others. I don't care.

The movie is a little long. I don't care.

The special effects are great.

My only criticism is that it's a fourth or fifth grade story, same as the book was.

Enjoy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the great children's fantasy films of all time!
Review: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" had the secured assurance of being one of the biggest movies of the year, and certainly one that would gain attention on opening weekend. But this is one event film that lives up to the hype surrounding it; director Chris Columbus has taken the beloved character and transformed his world into one of the great children's fantasy films of all time, combining a terrific cast with a production design that recreates the novel in all the right ways. The sheer sense of awe and wonderment one feels while watching this film is exhilarating, and I, too, fell under its magical spell.

This pre-destined classic centers around young Harry Potter, an 11-year-old boy who, as an infant, was left to live with foster parents after his parents' death. Harry is played by Daniel Radcliffe, who befits the part to the maximum in appearance and mannerisms. He has become a legend among admirers, and possesses special abilities, which he is demanded to suppress by his guardians. Cruel and controlling as the Dursleys may be (though it's all extremely hilarious), they cannot keep Harry away from his future of attending Hogwart's, the well-known school where children with otherworldly powers go to learn to use such powers in a fitting manner.

By this point, the story has succeeded in accomplishing two things: making itself easily accessible to those who have not experienced the book's many pleasures, and remaining completely faithful to its celebrated source. Harry's journey to Hogwart's provides the story a mystery surrounding a package retrieved by Rubeus Hagrid (played with enormous heart by Robbie Coltrane), and another mystery relating to Lord Voldemort, who was responsible for the death of Harry's parents.

The novel is filled with many interesting characters, all of whom make an appearance in the film. Most delightful are Harry's two best friends, Ronald and Hermoine (Rupert Grint and Emma Watson); watching these three child actors perform together is wonderfully funny, and the movie grants their characters each a special ability that will further their exploration and discoveries throughout Hogwart's. With a fabulous supporting cast that includes such heralded actors as John Cleese, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, John Hurt, and Alan Rickman, the movie is never short of extreme talent.

As Harry sets out to uncover the secrets within the walls of the expansive school, the film extends to the greatest lengths of imagination and whimsy that is worldly possible. This is the kind of movie that allows a director the chance to run wild, and Columbus has capitalized on that opportunity with tremendous effort and care. Not only does he possess the story, he also possesses the knowledge of how to recreate it with complete faithfulness, ranking his film's creativity with such momentous projects as "Titanic" and the "Star Wars" series.

In doing so, he has charged "Harry Potter" with scenes that are sure to become instilled in the mind. From the first revealing shot of the castle-like Hogwart's, black against the night sky, to the luxurious and brooding halls and articulate rooms, the film boasts a set and costume design that is impeccably authentic and visceral. The shifting staircase, the three-headed dog Fluffy, who guards a forbidden door, the dark forest, forest, and the action-packed Quidditch game, all become monuments of resilient joy, and one cannot help but gasp at the sheer spectacle of each expertly crafted scene.

The use of special effects in the film is fervent, though always well-intentioned. There are scenes in the film that possess this technique that vary in terms of believability: the Quidditch scene is an amazing technical achievement, while Fluffy the dog and the life-size chess game have a certain artificial zeal to them. Only a cynic could find fault with this variance of convincing effects; in my opinion, it serves as a testament of the film's fantasy land, a statement that this is pure imagination, and a wild one at that.

The most appealing aspect of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" lies within its capability to please all ages groups, young and old alike. Children with delight in the marvelous realization of the novel into a feature film, while adults will rediscover the pleasures of childhood happiness as they take part in this mesmerizing masterpiece of imagination and fancy. I felt an extreme burst of joy as the movie unleashed its brilliance; this is the kind of film that makes me want to invent new words to describe it, because there aren't enough to measure up to the praise it so truly deserves.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Grinchy Opinion
Review: While I can't fault anything in what was presented, the movie was like watching highlights from the book without any connecting material. I can't believe that anyone who had never read the book (Perish forbid) could actually follow what was going on.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: selling occultism to kids?
Review: Apart from the awesome special effects, I really can't see what else is worth watching in this movie. The movie seems to lure unsuspecting kids into developing new interest in witchcraft and the occult.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exellent...the First Family Classic of the 21st Century!
Review: This movie is superb! The actors are great, they fit the exellent descriptions that J.K. Rowling gives them in the book. I reccomend you read the books before seeing the movie, it'll make more sence that way.

I went to see this with my dad an my brother and we all loved it! I noticed that they left out some parts in the movie that are in the book. I guess they skipped some parts so it wouldn't be an unbearably long movie. It's long as it is, 2 and a half hours long. If they left those parts in it would be more like 3 and a half hours!

If you're a parent and your kids are just DYING to see it, don't hesitate! If you think you won't like it, I can almost assure you that after you take your kids to see it, you will want to see it again! Although, I wouldn't reccomend taking little kids that are sensitive. There are some pretty scary moments in the movie.

This is an all-out awsome movie. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it! You'll want to buy it on video or DVD and keep it in your movie collection forever!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of the best book to screen adpatations yet.
Review: Harry Potter was on my top 10 films to see this year, right behind Steven Spielberg's A.I. The book series of Harry Potter reintroduced me to stories that I had been missing since I last read "The Neverending Story." The basic concept of a world where almost anything seemed possible. But like many people, I was skeptical. After all, there's only so much that you can put onto a film, and there are the worries that studios will cut items here and there. But all in all, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (or Philosopher's Stone, depends where you live), is one of those films that I found quite enjoyable.

We all know the main prospects of the plot, so i won't rehash them. But in truth, thumbs up go to Chris Columbus and J. K. Rowling. A lot of people I knew thought Columbus would ruin the film, but he had a conscience hanging over him. Actually, Rowling's guiding eye, as well as Columbus' daughters, who wanted to see the film done right.

The acting was incredible in several instances. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all play the roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermoine (pronounced Her-my-knee) Granger to a unprecedented talent. Grint was exactly as I had pictured Ron while reading the books. Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid was a tough sell for me to believe, but after seeing him, I'm convinced that Noone could play Hogwart's Gamekeeper any better than Coltrane.

production design is also stellar, as the world unfolds at Hogwarts Castle to an incredible degree. Paintings come alive, ghosts fly here and there, and much more that cannot be described here.

As for my 4-star rating, Harry Potter lost a star due to the compositing of some of the visual effects, as well as several little errors.

1) The visual effects for the grand Quidditch Match were great, but they needed that one extra step towards perfection. There are also some instanes, where the people's reactions seem to be a little off after the compositing of effects.

2)Voice-dubbing also is a problem. during filming, Radcliffe's voice changed, and another child-actor filled his vocal role. However, the voice stands out in several action sequences, because it just doesn't fit.

But still, I'll leave this review on an up-note. Columbus stayed about 86% tgrue to the story, cutting out sequences that really didn't help continue the narrative along, as well as cutting down the number of trials in order to find the Sorcerer's Stone. The film's core audience are fans of the books, but there is still enough feeling to take someone who has not seen it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: i cant wait to see it again...
Review: this was an excellent movie! i went to see it twice. i thought that chris columbus directed the movie wonderfully! i didnt see many changes from the book, if any at all. i would definately recommend going to see this movie, if u havent already. i am now reading the fourth book for the 2nd time. if u havent read the book yet, i would say that is a definate, if you are a true harry potter fan like me!


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